Listen up French learners, here’s a comprehensive French vocabulary list just for you! Each category in this article provides you with words and phrases to enrich your vocabulary. They’ll also come in very handy in various day-to-day situations. Let’s get right into these French vocabulary essentials!
French Vocabulary Lists in this Article
By the way, your MosaLingua app is a great way to study all of these words (and many more). The app provides you with new French vocabulary flashcards every day and prompts you to review the flashcards you’ve learned at various intervals to promote long-term memorization.
French Vocabulary for Beginners
The basics
| English | French |
|---|---|
| yes | oui |
| no | non |
| ma'am | madame |
| sir | monsieur |
| girl | une fille |
| boy | un garçon |
| I don't know. | Je ne sais pas. |
| It's good. | C'est bien. C'est bon. |
| I agree. I disagree. | Je suis d'accord. Je ne suis pas d'accord. |
| cheers | santé |
| bless you (after a sneeze) | à vos souhaits (formal) à tes souhaits (casual) |
| I am American. | Je suis américain(e). |
| I am English. | Je suis anglais(e). |
| I'm learning French. | J'apprends le français. |
| I don't speak French well. | Je ne parle pas bien français. |
Numbers in French
We wrote an entire article that explains everything you need to know about French numbers, but here’s a quick list to get you started.
- un
- deux
- trois
- quatre
- cinq
- six
- sept
- huit
- neuf
- dix
- onze
- douze
- treize
- quatorze
- quinze
- seize
- dix-sept
- dix-huit
- dix-neuf
- vingt
- 30 = trente
- 40 = quarante
- 50 = cinquante
- 60 = soixante
- 70 = soixante-dix
- 80 = quatre-vingt
- 90 = quatre-vingt-dix
- 100 = cent
Greetings
| English | French |
|---|---|
| hello (during the day, somewhat formal) | bonjour |
| good evening | bonsoir |
| hi (anytime, casual) | salut |
| Nice to meet you. | Enchanté(e). |
| How are you? (formal) | Comment allez-vous ? |
| How are you? (casual) | Comment vas-tu ? |
| What's your name? (formal) | Comment vous appelez-vous ? |
| What's your name? (casual) | Comment tu t'appelles ? |
| My name is ... | Je m'appelle ... |
| See you later. | À plus tard. |
| See you soon. | À bientôt. |
| goodbye | au revoir |
Polite phrases
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Excuse me (to get someone's attention, or to apologize for bumping into them) | Excusez-moi Pardon |
| please (formal) | s'il vous plaît |
| please (casual) | s'il te plaît |
| thank you | merci |
| you're welcome | de rien |
| of course / my pleasure | avec plaisir |
| It's no big deal. | Ce n'est pas grave. Ce n'est rien. |
| Could I please have ... ? | Pourrais-je avoir ... s'il vous plaît ? |
| Good luck! | Bonne chance ! |
Days and dates
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Monday | lundi |
| Tuesday | mardi |
| Wednesday | mercredi |
| Thursday | jeudi |
| Friday | vendredi |
| Saturday | samedi |
| Sunday | dimanche |
| January | janvier |
| February | février |
| March | mars |
| April | avril |
| May | mai |
| June | juin |
| July | juillet |
| August | août |
| September | septembre |
| October | octobre |
| November | novembre |
| December | décembre |
| the date | la date |
| What day is it? | Quel jour sommes-nous ? |
| year | une année, un an |
| month | un mois |
| day | un jour |
| What time is it? | Quelle heure est-il ? |
Basic adjectives to know
| English | French |
|---|---|
| large small | grand(e) petit(e) |
| fat thin | gros(se) fin(e) |
| fast slow | rapide lent(e) |
| nice mean | gentil(le) méchant(e) |
| happy sad | heureux(-euse) triste |
| open closed | ouvert(e) fermé(e) |
| hot cold | chaud(e) froid(e) |
| new old | nouveau(-elle) vieux(-ille) (or ancien(ne)) |
| heavy light | lourd(e) léger(-ère) |
| high low | haut(e) bas(se) |
| easy difficult | facile difficile |
| clean dirty | propre sale |
| safe dangerous | sûr(e) dangereux(-euse) |
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Intermediate French Vocabulary Lists
French food vocabulary
| English | French |
|---|---|
| menu | la carte |
| to be hungry | avoir faim |
| to be thirsty | avoir soif |
| to be vegetarian | être végétarien(ne) |
| to be vegan | être végétalien(ne) |
| restaurant | un restaurant |
| server | serveuse, serveur |
| Dine in or carry-out? | A manger sur place ou à emporter ? |
| It's good. It's very good. It's delicious. | C'est bon. C'est très bon. C'est délicieux. |
| breakfast | le petit déjeuner |
| lunch | le déjeuner |
| afternoon snack | le goûter |
| pre-dinner drink | l'apéritif |
| dinner | le dîner |
| appetizer | l'entrée |
| main course | le plat principal |
| dessert | le dessert |
| sweet | sucré |
| savory / salty | salé |
| Could I have the menu, please? | Puis-je avoir la carte s'il vous plaît ? |
| What is the special today? | Quel est le plat du jour ? |
| water a glass of water | de l'eau un verre d'eau |
| coffee tea a hot drink | un café un thé une boisson chaude |
| bread | le pain |
| kitchen | la cuisine |
| to cook | cuisiner |
| ingredients | les ingrédients |
| recipe | une recette |
Hungry for more? Read about these yummy French foods you should be sure to try next time you’re in France!
French travel vocabulary
| English | French |
|---|---|
| a trip | un voyage |
| to travel | voyager |
| ID papers passport ID card | les papiers d'identité le passeport la carte d'identité |
| plane ticket boarding pass | le billet d'avion la carte d'embarquement |
| luggage suitcase | les bagages la valise |
| arrival departure | l'arrivée le départ |
| destination | la destination |
| carry-on luggage | un bagage à main |
| boarding zone | la zone d'embarquement |
| passenger | le passager |
| flight | le vol |
| customs | la douane |
| security checkpoints | les contrôles de sécurité |
| hotel | l'hôtel |
| reserve a hotel reserve a hotel room | réserver un hôtel réserver une chambre d'hôtel |
| I would like to reserve a room for two people, please. | Je voudrais réserver une chambre pour deux personnes s'il vous plaît. |
| Is breakfast included? | Le petit déjeuner est-il inclus ? |
In case of emergency
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Help! | Au secours! |
| stop | stop |
| Leave me alone. | Laissez-moi tranquille. |
| Help me. | Aidez-moi. |
| Could you please call the fire department? | Pouvez-vous appeler les pompiers s'il vous plaît ? |
| Could you please call the police? | Pouvez-vous appeler la police s'il vous plaît ? |
| an accident | un accident |
| I need your help. | J'ai besoin de votre aide. |
| Could I please use your phone? | Puis-je utiliser votre téléphone s'il vous plaît ? |
| sick | malade |
| I am sick. | Je suis malade. |
| pain | la douleur |
| I am in pain. | J'ai mal. |
| I am hurt. | Je suis blessé(e). |
| I'm going to the hospital. | Je vais à l'hôpital. |
| Where is the pharmacy? | Où est la pharmacie ? |
| Can I see a doctor? | Je peux voir un médecin ? |
| I'd like to report a theft. | Je voudrais déposer une plainte pour un vol. |
French Vocabulary on the Street
A few slang expressions
Whether you’re watching a French movie or TV show, or just walking down the street in a French-speaking area, you’ll hear a lot of slang. French speakers use slang to communicate all the time, and expressions can change a bit depending on where you are.
Here are a few of the most common examples. You can learn all kinds of additional phrases in our article dedicated to French slang.
Keep in mind that slang should not be used in formal situations; it’s best reserved for conversations among friends! We’ve put the non-slang term in parentheses.
- friend = pote (ami)
- to eat = bouffer (manger)
- a job / work = boulot / taff (travail)
- to leave = se casser (s’en aller)
A few verlan expressions
Younger French generations use lots of verlan to communicate. These words are inverted (à l’invers) in a way that’s similar to English “pig Latin.” We’ve included a few examples below.
If you’re curious to learn more, check out Cédric’s article all about verlan and how to use it! Or feel free to watch his video on Youtube. It’s in French, but English subtitles are available. You can also slow down the playback speed.
- It’s crazy. = C’est ouf. (C’est fou.)
- He’s a pain. = Il est relou. (Il est lourd.)
- lt’s sketchy/shady. = C’est chelou. (C’est louche.)
- I’m annoyed. = Je suis vénèr(e). (Je suis énervé(e).)
We hope these lists will be useful for you as you continue to learn French vocabulary! If you’d like to learn even more, be sure to check out these other articles:
- 30 Useful French Idioms That’ll Spice Up Your Expression
- False Cognates in French You Should Know
- Basic French Words You’ll Use Every Single Day
- How to Say “You” in French | Tu vs. Vous [VIDEO]
- How to Say Colors in French [VIDEO]
- The Surprising Meaning of the Most Beautiful French Word
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